Renault has given a preview of its new Symbioz hybrid crossover ahead of its unveiling this spring.

Designed to sit between the existing Captur and Austral SUVs, the Symbioz hybrid crossover will rival the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Puma

Designed to sit between the existing Captur and Austral SUVs, it will rival the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Puma.

Symbioz will feature the new brand design and will be the most compact hybrid in Renault’s C-segment range, measuring 4.41m long. Despite its compact size, the brand says it will offer generous amounts of space and loading capacity.

The Symbioz will be available with Renault’s E-Tech full hybrid 145hp engine also used in the smaller Captur and Clio along with the Arkana E-Tech. The Austral E-Tech gets the larger 200hp E-Tech hybrid.

The Symbioz will also feature the Solarbay panoramic glass roof, seen in the new Scenic E-Tech electric crossover and able to turn opaque at the flick of a switch.

Renault previously used the Symbioz name for a fully electric and autonomous concept car shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017.

The moniker draws on the French word ‘symbiose’, derived from the ancient Greek ‘symbiosis’, meaning ‘living together’ – which Renault says aligns with its mantra of producing “cars for living”.

Sylvia Dos Santos, head of naming strategy, Renault Marketing Division, said: “For this new compact family car, we wanted a name with human significance, expressing the close bond between a family and their car. The name Symbioz perfectly illustrates life with our vehicle, a place where passengers are as one with their vehicle and the environment.”

More details of the new Symbioz will be announced at its unveiling this spring.